This application is for one year of support for the meeting "The Mouse as a Instrument for Ear Research III" to be held at The Jackson Laboratory (TJL) in Bar Harbor, Maine on September 19-21, 2008. We are currently in the midst of a genetics revolution that promises to push "breakthrough" biomedical research to new levels. A large part of this revolution depends upon the analysis of the relationships between genes and their effects on complex biological systems and phenotypes. Investigators must become increasingly skilled in the application of genetic models to address a variety of important biological questions. The objective of this meeting is to provide a forum for researchers and students who work in areas of audio-sensory neurobiology. The mouse is just beginning to be appreciated as a model for studying the human auditory system. "The Mouse as an Instrument for Ear Research III" is therefore designed as a forum in which researchers and students can further investigate the enormous potential of the laboratory mouse. In addition, researchers using the mouse will be able to expand their knowledge of techniques from other experts in the field working with other models and interested in issues relating to concordance between model systems and translation. This three-day meeting includes several tutorials and workshops designed to bring participants up to speed on contemporary methods of analysis and the use of the laboratory mouse as a genetic tool for auditory research. Short presentations will elaborate on techniques demonstrated in the tutorials and provide examples of cutting edge research. Most presentations will be invited lectures by the organizers but there are times available for contributed papers and short abstract talks. Ultimately, this meeting will bring students and established investigators with varying expertise and experience together to discuss their research findings, identify areas of common research interest and develop future directions. TO PUBLIC HEALTH: This meeting is directly relevant to human health as its focus is on the use of the laboratory mouse to study and understand human auditory biology and disease. Promoting the responsible use of appropriate models is critical to the development of effective new therapeutic approaches to treating human disease. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]